Founding PCB Designer — High-Speed RF & Power Layout

Northwood Space; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 79,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwood Space, a modern space infrastructure company, seeks a founding PCB Designer to establish standards and lead the layout of next-generation digital compute and power PCBs. You will partner with Electrical, RF and Antenna engineers from concept to production, shaping the foundation for a scalable hardware team.

As the internal authority on high-speed/high-frequency layout, you will define tools, workflows, and guidelines, owning critical documentation and vendor collaborations to ensure

Qualifications

• 2+ years of professional experience in complex, high-density PCB layout (or 6+ years with a related degree).
• Hands-on high-speed/high-frequency layout techniques (impedance control, differential pairs, length matching).
• Experience with fine-pitch BGAs, high-pin-density components, and micro-vias (HDI).
• Knowledge of PCB materials, dielectric properties, and multi-layer stack-ups for high-frequency performance.
• Experience applying EMI/EMC mitigation techniques and designing PDN at board level.

Responsibilities

• Own the physical layout of complex, high-density PCBs with high-speed RF and power distribution systems.
• Determine layer stackups, component placement, routing feasibility, and strict constraint adherence.
• Create and maintain ECAD libraries for active, passive, and high-pin-count parts.
• Ensure Design for Manufacturability, Design for Assembly, and Design for Test guidelines are followed.
• Produce fabrication and assembly documentation (Gerbers, IPC-2581, drill charts).
• Collaborate with external PCB vendors to resolve queries and refine internal rules.
• Evaluate and adopt advanced PCB design tools and automation scripts for scaling.
• Mentor engineers on layout best practices and high-speed design.

Skills

High-speed layout

HDI packaging

EMI/ EMC mitigation

PDN design

Scripting automation

FPGA/processor interfaces

Autonomous decision-making

High-frequency routing

Education

Electrical Engineering degree

Tools

Altium Designer

Cadence Allegro

Siemens Xpedition

Job description

Northwood Space, a modern space infrastructure company, seeks a founding PCB Designer to establish standards and lead the layout of next-generation digital compute and power PCBs. You will partner with Electrical, RF and Antenna engineers from concept to production, shaping the foundation for a scalable hardware team.

As the internal authority on high-speed/high-frequency layout, you will define tools, workflows, and guidelines, owning critical documentation and vendor collaborations to ensure